Jorge Lorenzo To Join Honda And Ride Alongside Marc Marquez Next Year

Earlier, an official statement from the Honda factory racing team confirmed that Dani Pedrosa will not be riding with HRC next season. While there was speculation about a replacement rider, Honda has shocked us with the announcement of a two-year deal with three-time MotoGP champion Jorge Lorenzo, which it plans to close soon.

The agreement, worth €4 million per year, is believed to have been reached even prior to Jorge’s win at Mugello with Ducati. After winning three MotoGP titles with Yamaha and 24 winless races with Ducati, Lorenzo dominated the Italian Grand Prix last Sunday but admitted that the win came in too late.

Honda had already signed a new deal with the four-time champion and current leader Marquez back in January but was struggling to find the right rider for the second seat at the factory team. Johann Zarco was one of the top contenders for the same. So, while the Spaniard has gone ahead with Honda, Herve Poncharal plans to move ahead with Ducati. Also, with Marc VDS not being in the best shape, Yamaha might only be running factory bikes next year, instead of the satellite bike.